Metastatic Cancer 
What Is it? 
Metastatic cancer is a type of cancer that starts in one part of the body and “moves” or 
spreads to another. Metastatic cancer, shortened to Mets, is classified as a primary 
cancer, and is considered stage IV (4) cancer. Stage IV cancer is unlikely to be cured 
although, it is possible to treat it in order to keep it small or shrink it. 

Spreading 
Mets can be spread or transmitted by: 

● Invading Nearby Body Tissues 

● Moving Through Cell Walls of Lymph 
Nodes or Blood Vessels 
● Extreme Cell Division Until a Tumor is 
Formed 

Mets In Lungs 
In the story Fault In Our Stars it is stated that 
Hazel Grace has mets in her lungs. Lung 
cancer from Mets usually comes from cancer in the adrenaline gland, bone, brain, liver, or 
simply in the other lung. Although it may look easy to identify where the cancer 
originated from, doctors are not always sure of the origin of the cancer.